The field of the present invention is multi-cylinder V-type engines.
In conventional V-type multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, the included angle between banks of cylinders has generally been established as 90.degree. for two or four cylinders and 45.degree. or 90.degree. for eight cylinders. These angles have been established to make possible the balancing of the linear term of the residual unbalanced inertia forces of the reciprocating masses, including the pistons, connecting rods and the like. Such V-type engines typically include aligned or common crankpins associated with pairs of cylinders, one from each of the two banks of cylinders. With such an arrangement, it is not possible to negate the linear term of residual unbalanced inertia forces of the reciprocating masses through the use of a balance weight on the crank if the included angle between cylinder banks is established at an arbitrary value other than as indicated above. Thus, it is relatively impractical to employ an arbitrary V angle other than 90.degree., also 45.degree. in the case of an eight-cylinder. However, in certain cases, particularly where rigid space requirements exist, it would be advantageous to employ an included angle in a V-type multi-cylinder engine other than the fixed 90.degree. or 45.degree..